Fam — a Portrait of Olympian Anthony Famiglietti

Anthony Famiglietti Portrait by Borbay

Creative collaboration is nourishment for the soul. So, when writer Duncan Larkin proposed we team-up for a series of ART-icles (horrible pun) on his resurrected Roads Mills Laps or RML blog, I was in. As it happens, his first subject is Olympian and Reckless Running brand ambassador Anthony Famiglietti — someone I’ve known and respected since 1992.

Anthony Famiglietti Photo by Marcus Tanner

Duncan fired over some snaps of Fam, and I decided to work from this fantastic photograph taken by Marcus Tanner. It captures a great deal in one frame.

I have a step-by-step breakdown after this, but if you want the entire process in less than 60 seconds, check this video featuring the incredible lyricism of MH the Verb.

Anthony Famiglietti Portrait Process by Borbay

I’ll weave a bit of background into each image… beginning with the red/red-orange under-painting. Fam went to Patchogue Medford on Long Island… I went to nearby Smithtown HS. We would match up for a duel meet each spring, and raced nearly every weekend.

Anthony Famiglietti Portrait Process by Borbay

I did a quick drawing to bang out the essential planes… dark, light, some mid-tones. Fam was ahead of his time in HS — a throwback to the front-runners of yesteryear. He was, I believe, something like a 9:20/4:20 — times he accomplished with virtually no competition. If he was a HS runner 10 years later, he probably would have run about 4:10/8:50. As strange as it sounds to the outsider, the internet dramatically improved running across the board. People were seeing results and extensive training regimes… 9:20 when I was in HS was really strong, today, it is approaching average with so many kids under 9:00.

Anthony Famiglietti Portrait Process by Borbay

Shadows and highlights… from here, it is all about adding mid-tones. This may surprise some people, but I was a bit of a shit-talker back in the day (I know, imagine?) As a Freshman, I was mouthing off about trying to take down Anthony in the 3200 at a duel meet. Well, I learned my lesson 400 meters in when Fam took it out in 65 and cruised to a 10:05 victory… I was a well-humbled 10:40.

Anthony Famiglietti Portrait Process by Borbay

With the two extremes laid out, I began to mix subtle tonal shifts from dark-to-light. Fam went on to a spectacular career at the University of Tennessee — and now competes as a pro with outrageously good PB’s of 3:35 for the 1500, and 13:11 for the 5000. Once he met the competition, his game hit a new stratosphere.

Anthony Famiglietti Portrait Process by Borbay

With little slivers of the red under-painting showing in the face, I’m about three tones away. That Fam is a talented runner is obvious, but his passions go far beyond the track. He’s an artist, a musician, a brand ambassador for Reckless Running, a Husband and a Father.

Anthony Famiglietti Portrait Process by Borbay

Now, all that remains is the background. We both lived on the Upper East Side for a while, and I would run into him from time-to-time. Fam is and has always been a good guy…

Anthony Famiglietti Portrait by Borbay

Boom. Fam. 12″X12″ Acrylic on Canvas.

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